Bowling apparatus



March 13, 1962 R. 1.. HOLLINGSWORTH 3,025,060

BOWLING APPARATUS F'iied March 9, 1959 INVENTOR.

it States ice 3,025,060 BOWLING APPARATUS R. Lee Hollingsworth, 110 Fox Blvd., Massapequa, N.Y. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 797,999 2 Claims. (Cl. 273-37) The present invention relates to the game and sport of bowling, and has for its purpose, the improving an innovation of the said game and sport.

The invention comprises a bowling alley formed of metal, for bowling upon wherever the alley be located, be it for indoor or outdoor use.

The invention comprises a bowling ball made of solid resilient material, capable of much wear and tear on the surface thereof, with finger grip holes therein.

The invention also comprises structurally solid resilient ten pins made of resilient material, or metal ten pins covered with a resilient material such as rubber or plastic.

The invention further comprises in combination, a bowling alley formed of metal, structurally solid resilient bowling balls, and structurally solid resilient ten pins, or metal ten pins covered with a resilient material.

In outdoor bowling installations of the type described, the supporting means must be constructed in accordance with good construction standards of practice to prevent the supporting foundation means from changing level during the winter frost season, if the weather in any particular location requires these precautions.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a system of bowling to reduce costs within bowling buildings by reducing the noise factor as the game of bowling is played, thereby reducing the usual cost of extensive acoustical treatment to portions of the building.

Furthermore, since the speed of the bowling ball is slightly reduced due to the balls being resilient, the cost of construction may be further reduced by reducing the playing length of the bowling alleys; reducing the area required for a large number of alleys, and reduction in the size of a building to accommodate bowling alleys.

The description of the present invention follows, with reference to the drawings wherein,

FIGURE 1 is representative of three bowling alleys.

FIGURE 2 shows a structurally solid resilient bowling ball.

FIGURE 3 shows a structurally solid bowling ten pin.

FIGURE 4 shows a metal ten pin covered with rubber.

The detailed description of my invention is as follows, and reference is first made to FIGURE 1 wherein numerals 10, 11 and 12 indicate three bowling alleys placed substantially together in conventional manner. These alleys are constructed of metal which is sufficiently strong, that they can be used for bowling when placed on a level area, or levelled supporting means. These alleys may be smooth and highly polished for the fastest possible bowling, or contain fine grooves, or criss crossed grooves 15 to prevent the bowling balls from sliding or skidding too freely. Ball grooves are indicated at 13, and shown in depth at 14. Ten pin positions are shown representatively at a.

When the alleys are constructed inside a building, they may rest on a concrete floor, as example, which may comprise the building foundation. When constructed for outdoor use the supporting means for the alleys may rest on sufiicient earth bearing area to support the alleys in a level and stable manner.

It is to be appreciated that these bowling alleys may be constructed for bowling in both directions, or from both ends. This feature is particularly applicable for home, small clubs and motel installations, where both bowling and pin setting is a part of the recreational game.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a structurally resilient bowling ball made of rubber, or a combination of rubber and plastic resilient materials. This ball 16 preferably has a smooth tough surface to withstand the wear and tear of being cast upon a hard bowling alley surface. This bowing ball is usable on all types of bowling alleys to reduce noise, and to give a bowler the ability to induce desirable spinning action to the ball, due to the increased surface provided by the resilient ball, as the ball .moves down the bowling alley towards the ten pins. In making these resilient bowling balls, the finger grip holes 17 are preferably made in the balls by extrusions within the spherical mold, as the resilient material is injected into the mold. A cutaway section 16a illustrates, as example, that the ball is constructed of structurally solid rubber, or of other resilient materials.

FIGURE 3 is illustrative of a structurally solid resilient ten pin 18, which is preferably made by molding in the general manner that the structurally solid bowling ball of FIGURE 2 is manufactured. A cutaway section 20 indicates by example, that the solid structure is rubber.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a bowling ten pin 19 constructed of metal 21 as a basic support and carrier for a rubber coating 20 that renders the ten pin substantially noiseless when struck by a bowling ball and by other ten pins. There are many ways that the metal portion of the ten pin may be made.

I claim:

1. In combination, apparatus for use in the game of bowling comprising a bowling alley formed of metal, said metal shaped to form a, surface and length of a bowling alley having downwardly extended ball return grooves to support said surface and length, said surface roughtened to provide a degree of control of a bowling ball when cast upon said surface, a solid resilient bowling ball with finger grip holes therein, and smooth surfaced resilient bowling ten pins, said combination to be utilized to minimize noise as said bowling game is played.

2. In combination, apparatus for use in the game of bowling comprising a bowling alley formed of metal, said metal shaped to form a surface and length of a bowling alley having downwardly extended ball return grooves to support said surface and length, said surface roughened to provide a degree of control of a bowling ball when cast upon said surface, a solid resilient bowling ball with finger grip holes therein, and metal bowling tenpins cov ered with a resilient material, said combination to be utilized to minimize noise as said bowling game is played.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 24,893 Taggart July 26, 1859 552,801 Wiggins Jan. 7, 1896 1,020,315 Schutz .Mar. 12, 1912 1,106,859 Ayers Aug. 11, 1914 1,357,778 Jacobs Nov. 2, 1920 1,965,055 Purnell July 3, 1934 2,035,975 Meyer Mar, 31, 1936 2,180,676 Guimond Nov. 21, 1939 2,531,168 Snyder Nov. 21, 1950 2,566,681 Stewart Sept. 4, 1951 2,686,054 Coroniti Aug. 10, 1954 2,766,046 Skrainka Oct. 9, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 145,707 Australia Mar. 12, 1952 

